Latvia beats Germany in midday thriller in Znojmo at WJC (U18)

For Latvia and Germany the play-off started today with their battle in Znojmo. For the Baltic team it was the last game at the group stage and only win saved their chances to reach the quarter-finals, when Germany will have one more game against Suisse tomorrow.

Germany started well and grabbed a lead at 5 minutes with Dominik Kahun’s one-timer. Two minutes later Thomas Schmid visited the penalty box and the Latvians used their PP chance. Teodoros Blugers tied the game with a rebound play near the crease. The German team scored again when the puck got into the net after touching one the goalie body, but officials cancelled with scoring realization. The teams both made 29 shots for the period and improved their goalie stats.


Teodors Blugers ties the game

The 5th minute of the period again became happy for the Germans. Sven Ziegler with a nice slap shot at breakaway made it 2-1. A Latvian breakaway 7 minutes later leveled the score when Robert Lipsbergs with a repeated shot added the puck into the net. Lipsbergs made a double in the last minutes of the period, but with 26 seconds to play Janik Moser tied the score again.


Germany ties it 3-3

After the second period Leonid Tambievs decided to change goalie, and Ivars Punnenovs who played a great game against Sweden starts the last 20 minutes. At the first minute Patriks Skuratovs made a pass to Georgs Golovkovs who made the score 3-4 for Latvia. At 49:42 Marcel Kurth with a rebound play tied the game again at 4:4. But the game was decided two minutes later when Roberts Lipsbergs with a nice wrist shot scored the 5th goal of the night. A final siege of Latvian’s net didn’t change the score.

"We believed during all game that we can win tonight. We also know that our QF chances depends on other teams, we did what we could," said the hero of the game Roberts Lipsbergs.


Team Latvia

 

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